On Thursday Mr Talat said he wanted intensive negotiations. "Our objective is to reach a settlement in a short time... I believe we can make it by the end of 2008," he told Turkey's Anatolia news agency.

"Starting from September, we have four months... This much time is sufficient. It can be extended a little bit if necessary, but resolving the Cyprus question in a short time must be our primary objective."

The international community remains cautious ahead of the meeting, but the United States and Britain have both boosted diplomatic links with the two sides.

The lack of a Cyprus settlement is viewed as a major stumbling block to Turkey's European Union ambitions.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wants to see direct negotiations start soon, and he has named Australia's former foreign minister Alexander Downer as his special envoy for Cyprus.

An agreement between Mr Christofias and Mr Talat, both regarded by the international community as "pro-settlement," is seen as the best chance for peace since a failed UN reunification blueprint in April 2004.

On July 1 they agreed in principle on single citizenship and sovereignty in a reunified island and vowed to meet on July 25 for a "final review" of preparatory negotiations before launching peace talks proper.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup.

Thousands of Greek Cypriots living in the north fled south and Turkish Cypriots fled north, with both communities abandoning property.